Kelly Clarkson Scores Her 100th Billboard No. 1 Since Winning ‘American Idol’

Billboard magazine reports that Kelly Clarkson’s current hit “Piece by Piece” marks the singer’s 100th chart-topper, counting all national, domestic music charts (current, recurrent and catalog) compiled by the magazine — the first for an “American Idol” contestant.

Gaining high notoriety from her Feb. 25 performance on Fox’s “American Idol”, “Piece by Piece”, Clarkson’s autobiographical title track from her seventh studio album jumps from #35 to #1 on the Digital Songs chart (dated March 19) and also soars from #20 to #1 on the Pop Digital Songs chart. This week, the tune debuted at No. 8 on the Billboard Hot 100.

Clarkson’s first began her run of Billboard No. 1s on Oct. 5, 2002, when her song, “A Moment Like This” — her coronation as the first season winner — leaped from #52 to #1 on the Billboard Hot 100, shattering a 38-year-old record set by the Beatles in 1964 (when “Can’t Buy Me Love” flew 27-1) for the biggest leap to the pole position. Clarkson has since rewritten her own record, skyrocketing from #97 to #1 with “My Life Would Suck Without You” in 2009.

To-date, “Idol” contestants have earned a combined total of 458 Billboard No. 1s. Carrie Underwood is close behind Clarkson with 83, and in third place is Chris Daughtry, whose band Daughtry has earned 40 No. 1s. Rounding out the top five are Fantasia (35) and Mandisa (25).

Here is a complete list of how many No. 1s each Idol alum has achieved.

Billboard No. 1s by American Idol contestants:

Kelly Clarkson, 100
Carrie Underwood, 83
Chris Daughtry [Daughtry] , 40
Fantasia, 35
Mandisa, 25
Phillip Phillips, 20
Jennifer Hudson, 17
Ruben Studdard, 16
Clay Aiken, 12
Colton Dixon, 12
Scotty McCreery, 12
Adam Lambert, 10
David Cook, 8
Kimberley Locke, 8
Josh Gracin, 7
Jordin Sparks, 7
David Archuleta, 5
Danny Gokey, 5
Kellie Pickler, 5
Kris Allen, 4
Elliott Yamin, 4
Taylor Hicks, 3
American Idol Finalists, 2
Bo Bice, 2
Jason Castro, 2
Bucky Covington, 2
Blake Lewis, 2
Chris Sligh, 2
Casey Abrams, 1
Paris Bennett, 1
Diana DeGarmo, 1
Lee DeWyze, 1
Tamyra Gray, 1
Casey James, 1
Jessica Sanchez, 1
William Hung, 1